-Caveat Lector-
Especially for Ric (why have I recently been sick) Carter
Contact: Rick Rogers
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
303-492-2147
University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Shows Religion Plays A Major Role In Health, Longevity
Being good has its rewards in this life, as well as in the next.
Research conducted partly at the University of Colorado at Boulder has found
that regular churchgoers live longer than people who seldom or never attend
worship services.
For the first time, that extra lifespan has been quantified. While there are
differences between genders and races, in general those who go to church
once
or more each week can look forward to about seven more years than those who
never attend.
Life expectancy beyond age 20 averages another 55.3 years, to age 75, for
those
who never attend church compared to another 62.9 years, age 83, for those
who
go more than once a week.
The research showed that people who never attended services had an 87
percent
higher risk of dying during the follow-up period than those who attended
more
than once a week.
The research also revealed that women and blacks can enjoy especially longer
lives if they are religiously active.
The findings are contained in a study conducted jointly by Rick Rogers, of
CU-Boulder, Robert Hummer and Christopher Ellison, of the University of
Texas
at Austin, and Charles Nam, from Florida State University.
Rogers is a professor of sociology and a professional research associate
with
the population program at the university's Institute of Behavioral Science.
The
study drew on a 1987 National Health Interview Survey of more than 28,000
people and focused on more than 2,000 who died between 1987 and 1995.
Rogers said previous studies had examined and established links between
religion, health outcomes and lower risks of mortality but this research
broke
new ground by testing those relationships against a number of variables.
The research team factored in such elements as education and income, social
ties (including marital status and having friends and relatives to count
on),
and health status and behavior, including such things as smoking and alcohol
use.
For example, educated and better off people, who have lower mortality, were
more likely to attend church, while churchgoers generally were less likely
to
engage in such high risk health behaviors as smoking and excessive drinking.
Frequent churchgoers were also more likely to take part in social activities
and enjoy a good supporting network of family and friends, which could help
them avoid, or at least cope better with, times of stress or personal
difficulty.
However, even after taking into account all these external factors and
controlling the independent variables, the researchers found a "strong
association" still persisted between infrequent or no religious attendance
and
higher mortality risk.
Researchers also found distinct and related patterns when looking at causes
of
death. For example, those who never attend services are about twice as
likely
to die from respiratory disease, diabetes or infectious diseases.
Rogers said this research established the importance of religious
involvement
as a fundamental cause of mortality. It also opened the door to further
research perhaps examining religious attendance by denomination and looking
at
the less tangible spiritual issues.
The research findings were published this month in the latest edition of the
prestigious national journal Demography and will be included in a book,
"Living
and Dying in the USA," due out in August.
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